Have you been to a coin show recently? Next time you go to one, look around. There are some young collectors, but the majority of the attendees and dealers are of an older generation.

With the state and territory quarters, the new Lincoln cents and the Presidential dollars being released by the US Mint, now is an excellent time to get kids interested in collecting.

Many of the people on the bourse floor began with the coin books for pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, halves and dollars where you insert the coins into the correct slot depending on year and mint mark. Things have changed quite a bit since those days; however there are similar collecting kits for today’s younger generation.

Collecting these new coins can be educational but in a fun way. Kids can look at finding the new coins as a treasure hunt in their pocket change. Or, they can learn about banking by going to the bank for rolls of coins to look for the varieties they need. They can visit the US Mint’s web site (http://www.usmint.gov/kids/) for games and more information. They can learn about saving and trading up to get better coins. They can even learn delayed gratification.

There are a variety of books and helpful information to entice a young person into coin collecting. What starts as a simple, fleeting interest can become an lifelong investment and learning journey.